Ringed seal

Ringed seals are fat little seals and areÂ therefore also referred to as the small seal. They live in and around the Arctic region, but sometimes wander into the North Sea. In the Arctic region, ringed seals make fortresses in snow mounds on the pack ice, where the young are born. The mother can reach her young through a breathing hole in the pack ice. These breathing holes are often favorite spots for polar bears, where they will wait to catch a good meal.

On Texel

There are five known beachings of ringed seals on Texel. The last time was in 2008. The animals were brought to Ecomare and kept separate from the other seals. This was necessary to prevent diseases from spreading. They were released after recovery into the North Sea, far away from the coast.

Ringed seals live in the Arctic region (Arctic Ocean), the Hudson Bay, the Baltic Sea and the Bering Straits. There are also two sub-species in Finland and Russia, which live in fresh water. A lost ringed seal is occasionally reported in the North Sea.

When young ringed seals learn to live independently, they can wander off far away. Quite a few of these young animals often end up in the southern North Sea in the summer months. Every once in awhile, these vagrants even swim as far away as Portugal.